Combination stopper and pourer with valving means



y 4, 1956 w. c. RJNGEN 2,755,952

COMBINATION STOPPER AND POURER WITH VALVING MEANS Filed March 15, 1954 IIIIIIIAIA William 6. Ring en INVENTOR.

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United States Patent COMBINATION STOPPER AND POURER WITH VALVING MEANS William (3. Ringer], Verdi, Nev. Application March 15, 1954, Serial No. 416,266 4 Claims. (Cl. 215-52) The present invention relates to closures for bottles and analogous containers, generally speaking, and has more specific reference to a compressibly resilient stopper which is especially, but not necessarily, designed to be used in connection with a Thermos bottle.

Classified somewhat more explicitly, the invention has to do with a one-piece rubber or equivalent stopper which is normally expanded by the inherent resilient properties of the rubber and is thus lodged firmly in the desired sealing position, the construction being such that by extending the stopper in a lengthwise direction the outside diameter is temporarily altered to expedite the step of inserting and removing the stopper.

Anyone who has used a Thermos bottle and has attempted to pour liquid from the bottle into the usual cup-type cover, is familiar with the nuisance and inconvenience of holding the cup in one hand, the stopper between the fingers, and the bottle in the other hand, or finding a suitable and clean place to set the stopper aside while pouring. Confronted with and seeking to solve the stated problem, I have evolved and produced a structurally novel and distinct stopper which lends itself for practicable use in association with the neck of a Thermos bottle and is suitable for accomplishing intended results in that it may be operated with a single hand and opened and closed by way of unique valve means incorporated therein.

Briefly summarized, a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises, an extensible and contractible rubber cylinder having its fiuid inlet end normally closed by way of a flexibly resilient bottom and its outlet end wholly open, a portion of the wall having an extension defining a pouring lip, the intermediate portion of said cylinder having an outstanding endless flange defining a stop shoulder adapted to abut the neck of the stated bottle, said closed inlet end having openable and closa'ole fluid passages which are normally closed by way of the inherent contractible properties of said bottom, and plunger means through the medium of which intended pressure may be forcibly exerted against said bottom to thus distort the latter and to do so in a manner which expands and thus opens said passages.

More specifically, my bottle stopper is made from an elastic material, such as rubber, It consists essentially of a cup, having a spout formed at the top or open end, a flange just below the spout, an annularly fluted body, a bottom with one or more normally closed slits, and n plunger so disposed that pressure thereon will stretch the bottom of the cup and force open the slit, or slits, permitting the liquid to escape from the bottle. The outside of the cup is so dimensioned that it is necessary to depress the plunger, stretching the body to a smaller than normal diameter for insertion in the bottle. Release of pressure on the plunger allows the body to expand to near its normal diameter, hugging the sides of the bottle tightly and completing the seal.

Other objects, features and advantages, will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure l is a side elevational view showing a Thermos bottle, the improved stopper and the manner in which the same is applied to use;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the stopper by itself;

Figure 3 is a view in section and elevation showing the details of construction; and

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view on a small scale.

Referring now to the drawing with the aid of reference numerals and accompanying lead lines, the aforementioned rubber or equivalent extensible and contractible cylinder is denoted generally by the numeral 6. The open outer or discharge end is denoted generally by the numeral 8 and the normally closed fluid inlet end is denoted by the numeral 10. It will be observed that the outlet end is short on the right side in the drawings and longer on the left side and this defines what may be conveniently described as a substantially segmental extension for lip 12 which serves as a handy pouring lip in the manner illustrated in Figure l. The aforementioned outstanding shoulder forming flange is denoted at 14 and this in integral with the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder between the upper and lower ends in the drawing and in practice it abuts the head 16 on the neck 18 of the Thermos bottle 20 in the manner shown in Figure 1.

With reference to Figure 2 the lower portion of the cylinder, that is the portion beneath the flange 14 in the drawing, is provided with vertically spaced parallel endless encircling grooves which are denoted by the numerals 22 and these are spaced apart suflicient distances to de fine relatively broad compressibility resilient sealing or packing rings 24. With the construction shown, the upper or discharge end is wholly and unobstructively open while the lower end is closed by a circular bottom. This bottom is relatively thick as shown best in Figure 3 and it is substantially flat on the underneath or exterior side whereas on the interior, it is formed with a conical cavity or recess 26. As best brought out in Figure 4, there are several arcuate circumt'crentially spaced equidistant slits as at 28 and these define intervening connecting webs 30. These features 28 and 30 in turn define a circular distortable and openable and closable valve which may be conveniently referred to as at 32. The inherent resilient properties serve to contract and close the slits 28 and therefore the valve 32 is normally closed. By exerting pressure on the central axial portion of the valve it may be pressed to open position as brought out in Figure 3. This is done through the medium of a plunger. The plunger comprises a rigid central and axially disposed rod 34 which is of a length to extend above the open upper end 8. The lower end of the rod is provided with a disklike anchor 36 and this is centrally embedded in the bottom 10 in the manner shown. The upper end of the rod is screw-threaded as at 38 where it extends above the open top and is provided with a hard metal, rubber, or composition knob or head which is here conveniently referred to as a push button 49. If desired, the plunger rod may be encased in rubber by way of a sleeve 42 which extends from the push button down to the central portion of the valve where it is integrated with the valve.

My stopper is designed so that no liquid can run down the side of the bottle, and, being of essentially one-piece design, it is much easier to keep clean, and therefore is much more sanitary than any other expanding stopper now on the marl-let. These, and other advantages, will be apparent from the description.

It will be evident that the slits are narrow and the innate contractile properties of the rubber function to close up the slits and thus close the valve. By catching hold of the bottle in the manner shown in Figure 1, and exerting finger pressure against the push button 40 and pressing the button inwardly or downwardly, the rod 34 transmits this motion to the anchor disk 36 and this presses the valve down and opens the slits in an obvious manner, allowing the fluid to flow out and handily discharge from the pouring lip 12 in the manner illustrated. As soon as pressure on the plunger is relieved the valve again closes itself.

It will be understood that although the invention appertains to a stopper and pourer which is primarily adapted to fit into the neck of a Thermos bottle, the construction may be made relatively smaller or a great deal larger. For example, it is felt that this sort of a stopper can actually be used in the pouring neck of a five-gallon can or perhaps that of a SS-gallon drum. One of the practical ways of pouring a small amount of liquid into a large container is to place the latter on its side with the opening on the lower end and using a valve or tap as a means of controlling the flow of liquid. As is generally well known, it is almost next to impossible to pour a small amount of liquid from a full five-gallon can with a conventional opening without spilling an appreciable amount of the liquid. It has been found that by removing the cap from a large container while in an upright position, the stopper of the instant invention may be installed and then the container can be laid on its side and pressure applied to the plunger so that liquid can be drawn off with no amount of difficulty. This is to say, therefore, that the invention is not, of course, to be restricted for use in the pouring neck of a Thermos bottle.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A combination stopper and poorer for use in the neck of a bottle or the like comprising an extensible and contractible cylinder having its fluid inlet end normally closed by way of a flexibly resilient bottom and its outlet end wholly open, a portion of the wall of the cylinder having a segmental extension defining a pouring lip, the intermediate portion of said cylinder having an outstanding endless flange defining a stop shoulder adapted to abut the neck of the stated bottle, said closed end being circular and provided with equidistant circumferentially spaced normally closed slits rendering the center portion easily distortable and also defining liquid passages, the

surface of said bottom which faces toward the interior of the cylinder having a conical recess with its apical portion alined with the axial center of said bottom, and a plunger comprising a rigid rod having a disk-like anchor at one end embedded centrally in said bottom, said rod extending axially through said cylinder and the other end thereof projecting through and beyond the open end of the cylinder and having an endthrust head thereon serving as a handy push-button.

2. A combination stopper and pourer for use in the neck of a bottle or the like comprising an extensible and contractible rubber cylinder having a fluid inlet end normally closed by way of a flexibly resilient bottom and an outlet end wholly open and thus providing an elongate cup, an outer end portion of the Wall of the cylinder having a segmental extension defining a pouring lip, the exterior peripheral surface of said cylinder having endless circumferential grooves spaced apart and providing intervening sealing rings and the intermediate portion of said cylinder having an outstanding endless flange defining a stop shoulder adapted to abut the neck of the stated bottle, said closed inlet end having openable and closable fluid passages which are normally closed by way of the inherent contractile properties of said bottom. and plunger means through the medium of which intended endthrust pressure may be forcibly focused and exerted against said bottom to thus distend the latter in a manner which expands and thus opens said passages.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 wherein said plunger comprises a rigid rod fixed at one end to the central portion of said bottom and extending axially through said cylinder with its other end projecting to a position beyond said open end, the latter end being provided with an endthrust head providing a push-button.

4. The structure defined in claim 2 wherein said plunger comprises a rod having a disk-like anchor at one end which is embedded centrally in said bottom, said rod extending axially through and beyond the open end of the cylinder, and an endthrust head secured on the lastnamed end of said rod and providing a handy pushbutton.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 249,043 Havell Nov. 1, 1881 1,733,645 Butts Oct. 29, 1929 1,869,049 Card July 26, 1932 2,021,259 Magnuson Nov. 19, 1935 2,601,039 Livingstone June 17, 1952 2,662,668 Schmidt Dec. 15, 1953 2,662,669 Schmidt Dec. 15, 1953 2,672,999 Protasoti Mar. 23, 1954 

